Fresh olive oil can enhance and blend flavours and ingredients in recipes, as such, it is the main oil used in cooking.

Cooking with olive oil helps to preserve natural juices and can provide a protective layer which helps to keep food fresh and crisp.  In addition, it allows for aromatic herbs and spices to mix and prevents ingredients from sticking.

Olive oils, like wines, have different flavours and accents; they can taste fruity, sweet, tart, nutty or even grassy. Some oils are heavy and fully flavoured, some are light and have subtle flavours, so when cooking with olive oil be guided by your own taste.

There are different types of oils to consider when cooking.  Light and delicate dishes go well with milder, less fruity oils and robust, fully flavoured foods can withstand fruiter, stronger flavoured oils.  Olive oils are not only used for savoury dishes, they can also be used to cook desserts and sweet treats such as cakes and ice cream so be adventurous and experiment with olive oils from Spain.

Extra virgin and virgin olive oils are considered the best grades of oil and are excellent for cooking with as their light, unprocessed composition complements ingredients. As a simple guide, for poaching, sautéing, garnishing foods and for cooking dishes such as salads, vegetables, fish and chicken, mild, lighter virgin oils are best.  Virgin oils are also used as salad dressings or vinaigrettes as they have superior flavours.  For roasting, barbecued, frying and braising more robust dishes that require high or prolonged heat, pure olive oil or olive oil is best as these blended or refined oils have less flavour.

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